There are several types of fluid treatment apparatus known in the art, including such apparatus for treating, e.g., etching, printed circuit substrates. Examples of such apparatus are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,270,317, 4,506,687, 4,985,111 and 5,076,885. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,317, to E. J. Kurie, there is defined an apparatus for treating metal sheets passed continuously through the apparatus wherein several successively positioned treatment tanks or units are used. The primary purpose of this apparatus is to rinse the metal sheets, using oppositely positioned spray nozzles which are oriented at a predetermined angular relationship to the direction of sheet travel to thereby maintain turbulent fluid flow against the sheet during rinse. This apparatus is of substantially elongated configuration, requiring use of significant space on the manufacturing floor. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,687, to H. J. Rosch, there is described an apparatus for etching and rinsing vertically oriented printed circuit boards with the various treatment stations located in successive, adjacent orientation, resulting in an overall apparatus substantially elongated configuration. Like the apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,317, this apparatus also mandates use of significant space on the manufacturing floor U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,111 to K. F. G. Ketelhohn, like U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,687, is also concerned with the treatment of printed circuit board substrates and utilizes angularly dispositioned spray nozzles to impinge the substrates at predetermined angles in order to prevent puddling or the like at certain locations on the substrate. This patent thus appears to require a relatively elongated sprayer structure for this singular operation, in turn mandating an even longer overall structure for the final apparatus configuration. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,885, to Haas et al, there is described an apparatus for processing (etching) metal workpieces, and in particular copper laminated printed circuit boards, wherein successively oriented "modules" are necessary, these being spacedly positioned with respect to one another. This apparatus thus possesses the same inherent disadvantages associated with those in the foregoing three other patents, that being the need to provide relatively substantial floor space to adequately accommodate the apparatus.
Although it is mentioned above that the invention is particularly adapted for use in the treatment of substrates for eventual use as a printed circuit board or the like, the invention is not to be so limited in that it may be utilized to perform a variety of different forms of treatment of several different types of articles passing therethrough, including both metallic and non-metalic. By the term treatment as used herein is thus meant to include processes such as coating, cleaning, chemically treating (e.g., etching), as well as others such as plating, as discernible from the teachings provided herein. Further, by the term fluid as used herein is meant to include both liquids (e.g., etchants, water) and gases (e.g., air).
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for treating substrates or similar articles with fluid wherein at least two different processes can be effectively performed in a relatively small amount of floor space, while simultaneously assuring effective utilization (e.g., recycling and replenishment) of the fluids utilized. Such an apparatus and method also requires use of minimum quantities of each fluid so used, while effectively performing the desired processes in the limited spacing utilized.
It is believed that such an apparatus and process would constitute a significant advancement in the art.